Council passes on restaurant review

Brian Lockhart

Published 8:36 pm, Sunday, February 24, 2013

BRIDGEPORT -- The all-Democrat City Council will not rule on powerful party boss Mario Testa's bid to change the zoning for his Italian restaurant, a politically spicy issue hotter than a bowl of fra diavolo sauce.

That leaves the decision in the hands of the Zoning Commission, which was to take up the matter Monday, but has canceled that meeting.

"The political angle here is not what is driving the decision-making," council President Thomas McCarthy, D-133, said.

"People are used to the council having final say (on various issues) and I get that ... Zoning is where land-use decisions are made. So why shouldn't they make this decision?"

Like the restaurateur he is, Testa for the last several years has been concocting different recipes for easing the zoning restrictions for his North End property at Madison and Westfield avenues.

For decades the site has been home to one eatery or another, so the restaurant use was grandfathered into an otherwise residential neighborhood. Testa's business, Testo's, opened there seven years ago.

The powerful Democratic chairman keeps trying to persuade the city to change his zoning to commercial use. His most recent attempt would amend the city's 2008 master plan to allow "mixed uses" at the restaurant, paving the way for the related zoning changes.

Neighbors who have opposed Testa fear he wants to sell the property and expand the commercial use on an otherwise quiet stretch of Madison Avenue.

McCarthy said the council had been receiving contradictory information from attorneys on its role in reviewing Testa's proposal. Ultimately, they concluded the council could decline to consider the issue and just pass it along to the zoning board. Doing so, however, now means the proposed zoning change would need a two-thirds, rather than simple majority of that board to pass.

"Zoning is the one that has to take a stand on this," said Councilwoman Lydia Martinez, D-137, an Economic Development Committee chairman. "None of us feel it belongs in our committee."

State Rep. Jack Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, who represents the North End, said he feared Testa would exert undue influence over council members. He wants the group to take a public stand and reject Testa.

"They are avoiding conflict with the Democratic Town Committee chairman and not sending a strong message ... He's going to keep coming back year after year until he gets what he wants," Hennessy said. "One of the ways they (the council members) survive is by pretending to uphold the interests of the people."

Council economic committee member Michelle Lyons, D-134, was prepared to vote against Testa.

"This is not about an individual," she said.

Lyons said if the master plan is amended for Testa, it could set a precedent for property owners citywide.